Friday, November 29, 2013

Review and Swatches: Wet n Wild Knock on Wood

After being extremely impressed by my other Wet n Wild eyeshadows, this trio in 383B Knock on Wood ($2.99 at the drugstore) was a little bit of a letdown in terms of pigmentation. The trio consists of a satin finish peachy pink, slightly shimmery medium-dark brown with neutral undertones, and a shimmery cranberry.




Below are swatches with flash.



The light pink is definitely the weakest link in this trio. It is chalky, powdery, and poorly pigmented, not to mention it's definitely not a browbone shade as the palette suggests. I might use it to blend out the crease or perhaps on the lid for a subtle look.

The brown is also not super pigmented, but is workable and is great for the outer corners, crease, or outer half of the crease depending on how dramatic you want your look to be. Despite the slight shimmer, this color works great in the crease for a natural look, in the outer corners for definition in a very light look, or to blend out a darker crease color in a darker look.

The cranberry color is my favorite of the bunch. The pigmentation is better than the other two colors, though still not quite up to par with what I've come to expect from Wet n Wild. The color is very versatile, mostly because you can actually blend out the shimmer. If I'm using the color on the lid and I want to keep the shimmer, I pack it on with my finger. However, if I'm using it in my crease, I lightly buff it in with a stiff blending brush and it creates a matte look. The latter is definitely my favorite way to use it, because it warms up any look, adds an interesting bit of color that isn't too bright, and brings out my green eyes.

Longevity is slightly less than other Wet n Wild eyeshadows I've used, with fading occurring after about 6 hours without primer and 10 hours with primer. I wouldn't use these if you have a long day ahead of you or are going to a special event. The upside of the slightly dry texture is that even though it decreases longevity, I've had absolutely no creasing. However, I think this palette is worth it for the cranberry shade alone, especially if you have green or blue eyes because it will really make your eye color pop and can liven up a neutral eye look.

In terms of dupes, the cranberry color is a little darker and more brown than Mac Cranberry, but they create a similar effect on the eye.

Pigmentation: 7/10 (Pink shade was not good, brown and cranberry were ok)
Texture: 8/10 (Pink shade is powdery, other two are nice but don't have the same almost creamy texture as some WNW shades)
Longevity: 8/10 (Primer is pretty much required to get through the day)
Price: 10/10 ($2.99 is a great deal even if you're never going to use the pink color. The brown shade is a nice reliable neutral and the cranberry shade is a staple in my collection)

Overall: 8.25/10